Nothing says “early January” like a bunch of dead Christmas tree piled up on the sidewalk (or a temporary increase in people at the gym, swearing this year is going to be different).

If you’re still clinging to your tree and trying to figure out what to do with it, take note that MulchFest 2014 — NYC’s annual Christmas tree recycling program, now in its 18th year — runs though this Sunday (1/12).

There are several locations on the Upper West Side where you can drop off your tree and have it run through a wood-chipper. It’s environmentally friendly, with the added bonus of being a free weekend entertainment option if you have kids… they dig chippers.

With 2013 in the books, it’s time to take a look at Upper West Side crime statistics for the year that was.

The good news is that neighborhood precincts showed a modest downturn in major crime during the year.

Through December 29th, the 20th and 24th precincts — which cover 59th to 110th Streets, between Central Park and the Hudson — saw a total of 1,980 serious crimes (i.e., murder, rape, robbery, felony assault, burglary, grand larceny, and grand larceny auto).

That equates to a roughly 6% drop compared to 2012, which is good. However, 2012 saw a huge uptick in crime compared to a historic drop in 2011, do despite this past year’s decrease, crime rates are still nearly 12% higher than they were just two years ago.

You may have noticed a couple of posts yesterday — the first in nearly four months.

Back in September, I took what I thought would be a short break from the site… it unexpectedly turned into a lengthy hiatus.

With 2014 upon us and my non-MyUpperWest life slowly returning to normal, I figured it’s time to get back into the game and start writing again.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that one of the best parts about publishing MUW has always been the amazing support from readers. Your tips, photos, suggestions and feedback make the site possible, so please don’t hesitate to drop me a line if you see something of note in the neighborhood, big or small (openings and closings in particular).

Apologies for my absence — I hope you’ll welcome me back in the fold.

Happy new year,

-Mike

p.s. A quick reminder: If you want to make sure you never miss a post, you can:

FDNY on the scene at West 74th, between Broadway & West End (Photo: @jmagNYC)

If you recently heard multiple explosions in the vicinity of West 74th, you’re not alone.

MUW reader @jmagNYC reports a transformer blew up shortly before noon, resulting in “three large booms.”

FDNY is on the scene, but there do not appear to be any injuries or major damage as a result of the incident.

It can be more than a bit disconcerting to hear things in the neighborhood exploding around you on a Monday afternoon — thankfully this doesn’t appear to be more than an inconvenience to people in the immediate area.